Beyond The Truth
by WordsSpillFromMyVeins
Summary: So, this is a AU based on the X Files Origin stories 'Agent Of Chaos' (Mulder's book) and 'Devil's Advocate' (Scully's book). I suggest you read them. I mean you don't have to, to read this fic but just for your own pleasure... if you love X Files.
1. The Meet Cute

Mulder Residence  
Washington, D.C.  
April 2nd, 1979  
2:47pm

"Phoebe wants us to meet her at someplace called 'Beyond Beyond' in Craiger."

Mulder said, as he walked back into his bedroom, after talking to his best friend from back home in Martha's Vineyard, but who was also currently in D.C. on holiday with her family.

Gimble (the only friend he had made since moving to D.C) was sitting on the carpet floor, his back against the edge of the mattress, looking through some Star Trek books that he didn't own... yet.

"Dude, I can't believe you screwed that up. She's really cool... and hot" Gimble looked up, and waved his left hand around, confused by his best friend's lack of skills with the fairer sex.

"Uh, thanks! Come on, we better leave now"

Mulder snatched up the keys to his Gremlin from off his desk and a leather jacket from the back of the chair and walked out again. Gimble scrambled to his feet, grabbed his wallet that had obviously fallen out of the back pocket of his jeans when he sat down an hour ago off the floor, and followed him.

"Dude, slow down!"

Beyond Beyond  
Craiger, Maryland.  
April 2nd, 1979  
4:21pm

Dana and Melissa were crammed into the small booth behind the constantly ca-chinging cash register of their favourite hang out spot 'Beyond Beyond'.

Missy had dragged Dana there after school one afternoon, about a week after they moved to Craiger. She had gushed about Corinda and Sunlight the whole time they walked there that first time, and that hadn't really changed in the months since. She was always learning something new or having another insightful conversation with the co-owners about Meditation, or about what certain types of crystals helped with what.

As the name suggested, it was a spiritual, new agey store and café that sold various religious trinkets, candles, incense, tarot cards and spiritual books, and it also held Meditation and Enlightenment classes in the back rooms. Dana and Missy attended Corinda's Meditation class every Tuesday night.

Dana blew across the top of her tiny homemade, tie-dye ceramic tea cup and quickly sipped the hot jasmine tea that she had ordered while Missy was busy looking around and talking to her new friend and co-owner, Corinda.

Melissa slipped her recently purchased crystals from a brown paper bag that she had bought earlier and begun playing with them. She had been talked into buying a blue aragonite, a purple amethyst and a black onyx.

"Corinda says that the amethyst..." Missy held the crystal up, twirling it in her delicate fingers" is for balancing your chakra and curing nightmares and insomnia."

"Uh huh, that's nice."

Dana wasn't paying attention. She had a tendency to zone out when her sister started to talk about the more way out there aspects of this stuff.

Meditation was one thing, but healing crystals? Dana wasn't so convinced.

"Doesn't this one look awesome? It's a black onyx, helps to get rid of stress! And this one, this one is my favorite... it's an aragonite, for calming and soothing the soul. It's so deep, Dana!"

"Maybe you should grab one for Charlie" joked Dana.

Their youngest brother, Charlie, was constantly wired and on the go. Sometimes they would joke that he couldn't possibly be a Scully. They both laughed.

Suddenly, they heard the welcoming bell above the door tinkle loudly throughout the store as some new patrons entered the store.

"Whoa..." Missy craned her neck and watched as a tall young man with floppy brown hair and green eyes walked in.

She watched, as the young man tried to help his friend untangle from the beaded curtain that covered the doorframe.

"What? Who is it?" Dana slid across the dark maroon leather seat and peeked her head around the wooden back of booth.

"I don't know. I've never seen him before..."

"Why are you freaking out then?"

"Look at him!"

"I'm looking at him, Missy. Geez!" Dana huffed.

"He's SO cute!"

"Which one?"

"Seriously?" Missy shook her head, sighed and rolled her eyes at her naïve younger sister "The tall, gorgeous one... of course!"

Dana looked at him harder, trying to see what her older sister saw... and felt something inside her body click. She didn't know what it meant but it made her feel really weird, like she had a thousand butterflies in her stomach.

Missy "accidently" knocked the black onyx crystal off the star and moon pattern tablecloth covering the booths wooden table as they walked by, causing the young man to bend down and pick it up for her, giving her the perfect opportunity to introduce herself to him.

But the young man handed it to Dana instead. Mulder was in denim jeans, a white tee covered by a black leather jacket and converse sneakers. Their fingertips touched, just for moment, and Dana pulled away when she realized.

"She can be so clumsy sometimes, sorry. Thank you for picking it up for us, it was really kind of you..." chuckled Missy, as she slinked out of the booth. Dana rolled her eyes and stood up too.

"No problem" he said, tearing his attention away from Dana and giving Melissa a quick smile.

The young man reached out a hand to Dana, in an effort to introduce himself. Dana was wearing black leggings, an oversized beige colored sweater and brown leather lace up boots.

"Mulder. Hi..."

Dana looked down at his hand surprised, and then back up at his smiling face for a moment and shook the young man's hand.

"Dana... Scully. Are you kidding?" Dana laughed.

Missy slapped Dana on the arm, staring daggers at her before returning her attention back to Mulder and giving him a forgiving smile.

"What?"

"Your name can't seriously be Mulder"

"Well, no. Technically my name is Fox... but I'd rather you called me Mulder"

"Ok. Mulder it is!"

Dana spent the rest of the exchange staring directly at his broad chest and shoulders (he was really tall) and trying to stop the butterflies from escaping out of her mouth

"Hello. Ignore her..." Missy pushed in front of the shorter red head "she doesn't really know how to talk to people"

Missy extended her hand to Mulder. He shook it very briefly. She was more forward than he would usually like and the younger red head was more intriguing to him.

"Gimble" Gimble smiled widely, at the Scully girls.

"These nicknames are a thing with you guys, huh?" declared Dana, looking up at Mulder and then down and across at Gimble. Mercifully, he was her height.

"Yeah. Sorry. I mean, you can call me Gary if you want. That's my name"

"Nice to meet you, Gary"

After a short silence, and a lot of intense staring between Mulder and Dana, they said their farewells. Missy and Dana slipped back into their booth and Mulder and Gimble sat at the cozy table a few feet away and to the left of them, waiting for Phoebe to show up for their meeting.

Gimble was reading a well-worn copy of 'Stormbringer', while Mulder gently kicked at the antique metal stand holding the table up and eating sunflower seeds from his pocket.

Sunlight watched from the doorway of his private room in the back of the store, where he held one-on-one Transcendental Astral Projection sessions with special customers.

About twenty minutes later the bell above the entrance jingled again.

As much as she didn't want to be, Dana was intrigued and watched on as Mulder's and Gimble's eyes went towards the new arrival. Missy's attention was on the girl from the moment she heard the door open, sizing her up and calculating her dwindling chances with Mulder.

It was Phoebe.

She was wearing a light denim skirt, a grey and blue NASA tee (which was more of a crop top now that she had grown out of it), black leather sandals that criss-crossed over the tops of her exposed feet and her long blond hair was parted into two braids that hung over both of her bare shoulders.

"Do you think that's his girlfriend?" Missy asked, extremely curious about the blond girl.

"Who cares?"

Corinda leaned over the front counter and pointed to the round wooden table where Mulder and Gimble were sitting and talking quietly in the back for Phoebe to see.

Phoebe strolled, like on an airport conveyer belt, right past the Scully girls and straight up to her friends.

"Hey, fellas" exclaimed Phoebe while she put a hand on her left hip and smiled brightly at Mulder and Gimble.

"You're late" Mulder pouted.

"And you're grumpy. Why?"

"Hey, Phoebe" Gimble did a pretty accurate impression of the Cheshire cat from Alice In Wonderland.

"I'm not..."

"You are, Fox. I got held up helping my grandfather with something, cool?"

"Sure. Fine"

Phoebe sidled up to Mulder, leaned in close and whispered "Sorry" while everyone else watched on enthralled and then she cuddled into him.

She shot a quick glance at the Scully girls, as she sat down next to Mulder, making Dana (but not Melissa) blush and look away quickly. Phoebe was tall, where Dana was short. Blond instead of a fiery red-head. Outgoing versus shy. And much more comfortable in her skin than Dana, apparently. They both had a galaxy of freckles dotting the bridge of their noses and across their cheekbones. Both were also unbelievably smart and determined though.

"Stop staring, Missy" Dana mumbled under her breath, so Phoebe wouldn't hear.

"Why?" growled Missy.

"Because... it's embarrassing"

"Whatever! Tell me about you and Ethan"

"Tell you what exactly about Ethan and me?" Dana asked naively, swallowing the last bit of her now cold jasmine tea.

"You know" Missy raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Eww..." Dana scrunched up her face "He's my best friend"

Before Melissa could reply, they heard a voice coming from behind them.

"Well, that was intense! Do you know that guy?" Corinda inquired as she squeezed into the booth next to Melissa.

"Nope, he's cute though. Don't tell Sunlight I said that..."

Corinda didn't hear a word Missy had said, she was too busy looking into Dana's eyes and trying to figure out what had just happened.

Corinda had been ringing up a sale, but was distracted by the overwhelming feelings she was hit with all of a sudden. She looked over at the small group and smiled because she could see the energy bouncing between Dana and the young guy who had just entered the store. The exchange of energy. The soul connection. It was so deep, that she hadn't a clue how everyone else couldn't see it too. It was orange, blue, purple, green and silver, and it was swirling around them and only them. Even though Gimble and Missy shared their space with the other two, they were outside the circle of the shared aura.

"I won't. Did you feel what I felt, Dana?"

"Huh? Feel what?"

Melissa stared at Corinda, trying to work out what she was getting at, and wondering what she had missed.


	2. The Phonecall

Scully Residence  
Craiger, Maryland.  
April 4th, 1979  
7:13pm

"Dana, you've got a phone call..." Maggie Scully called out.

Missy jumped off her bed, pulled her bedroom door open so fast it nearly hit the wall and leaned casually against it, watching as her sister came out of her room. Dana was standing by the hallway table where the second phone lived, the book she was reading (Moby Dick) still in her hand, thumb holding the mark of the page.

"Hello?"

"It's me..."

Dana was silent.

Mulder hesitated... and added.

"Mulder"

He rested his forehead against the wall, quietly trying to knock some sense into himself.

"Oh, Hi... Wait, why are you calling me? Do you want to talk Missy? How did you get our phone number?"

"Phonebook. No. Uh, I was actually calling to speak with you"

Melissa was suddenly standing right behind Dana. She turned her head, and watched as Missy mouthed "Who is it?". Dana scrunched up her face, and waved her away. Melissa didn't move.

"Ok..."

Now Mulder was silent. He assumed she remembered him. Not in an arrogant way, no, he just thought she would.

"Mulder? Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here" Mulder scuffed his shoe against the baseboard, leaned against the wall and shoved his free hand into the front pocket of his denim jeans.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I was wondering... if maybe... you would like to go see a movie" Mulder said and then added quickly "with me"

"Just the two of us?" Dana looked at the wall in front of her skeptically.

"Umm, yeah... but if that makes you uncomfortable, you can invite someone to come or I can ask Gimble to join us" Mulder added, nervously.

"And um, what would your girlfriend have to say about us going to the movie theatre alone... together?"

"What? Who? Oh, you mean Phoebe. Uh, she's not really my... I mean, I thought we were-" Mulder rambled on.

Dana laughed and bit her bottom lip.

Mulder was beginning to love that laugh, which seemed a little crazy but also felt right somehow.

"Well, she went back home to the Vineyard yesterday. So, I don't really know"

"Oh...", Dana forced herself to stop laughing, to be more serious "Is that where you're from... originally? Martha's Vineyard?"

Missy was staring at her again. She looked really mad and it made her want to laugh again. Like she couldn't believe she was being so rude to the cutest guy she'd ever seen.

"Yeah. I moved to DC with my dad last year..."

"Yes!" Dana exclaimed without warning. She didn't know what made her say yes... but something inside was telling her it would be worth it.

"Yes?"

"I would like to go see a movie with you" She assured him.

"You would?" He sounded shocked.

"Uh huh. I just have to ask my parents... and Missy will probably have to come too"

"Missy?"

"Yeah. My older sister, Melissa. You met her the other day too, remember?"

Mulder slapped his free palm against his forehead.

"Right. Oh, ok. Cool."

Maggie Scully listened for a moment longer, and then hung up the downstairs phone that was hanging on the kitchen wall near the oven.

Melissa rose to stand again, as she watched Dana put the handset back down on the receiver carefully.

"What the hell was all that about? Tell me everything.. now!"

Mulder Residence  
7:32pm

Mulder stood there, holding the phone in his hand, dumbstruck by what had just occurred.

"Wow" he whispered to himself, a smile playing on the corners of mouth.

"Fox?"

"Coming!" Mulder sighed then walked down the long entryway and into the small kitchen.

"Who called?"

"No one. I called someone, a friend... I didn't think you'd mind"

"Oh. Ok, fine. Just don't keep the line tied up for long, you know my work is 24/7"

Bill Mulder sat at a tiny faux wooden table stabbing at a frozen TV dinner, drinking his lukewarm coffee and making a face at the bitterness with every sip.

"Yeah. I know, dad. I was quick, I swear" Mulder mumbled, annoyed.

"It wasn't that Phoebe girl was it?"

"Nope. Phoebe hasn't called since she got home last week..." Mulder explained to his father, as he popped some sunflowers seeds into his mouth, and chewed down on his anger and the seeds.

Based on his father's disdain for Phoebe, and how he would treat her when she came to visit every couple of months, there was no way he was even going to mention that he was speaking to another girl, or that her name is Dana.

"Goodnight"

"Night" Mulder said as he turned to walk back down the hallway, and into his bedroom.

He kicked his converse sneakers off, sat down at the desk pushed up against the only free wall in his room (it was a simple set up; bed, desk, wardrobe and nightstand but you could barely see the carpet for the mess of clothes covering it) and flicked the lamp switch on to see his English homework.

"She said yes" Mulder sighed happily.

He looked at the framed photograph of his younger sister, Samantha. She was hanging off a metal frame jungle gym at the park down the street from their house on the Vineyard. She looked happy. Mulder remembered standing behind his mother, antagonizing his little sister as their mother took the picture and that was why it would always be his favorite image of her.

Occasionally, he would talk to her. To Samantha. Like the old days. It's not like he could talk to his mother or father about what was going on in his life. So, he would talk to her and hope that she could hear him... and that she was OK.

He used to have constant nightmares about Samantha, but those nightmares had slowly started to be replaced by dreams starring the cute red-head he met at 'Beyond Beyond' the other day. Like she was a light in the darkness that his life had become.

Scully Residence

7:34pm

"I will. I just have to ask mom and dad first" Dana pushed past her older sister and made her way toward the stairs but was stopped by Melissa's questions.

"What? Why won't you just tell me who it was?"

"Fine!" Dana spun around on her heel, frustrated.

"So? Who was it? And what did they want?"

"It was that guy... from 'Beyond Beyond'"

"Gimble?" grinned Melissa.

"Nope. It was the other one, Missy"

"No way! What? How is that possible?" Missy wondered, confusion etched on her face, as she stood on the top step of the carpeted stairs, watching as Dana bounded down them to speak with their Mom and Dad.

It didn't make sense to her, that it would be Mulder calling. Gimble seemed more like the type of guy who would be interested in her nerdy younger sister.

Maggie Scully was leaning against the countertop by the kitchen sink, smiling, when Dana entered.

"Mom"

"So, he sounds nice... the young man that called. Where did you meet him?" Maggie smiled, softly.

"Umm, that place in town where Missy and I go for yoga class; 'Beyond Beyond'"

Dana stood by the warm oven, looking through the glass front she could see a tuna casserole baking for dinner. Melissa casually wandered into the kitchen/dining room and sat down at the table, listening intently to the conversation.

"Oh. How lovely!" Maggie Scully looked over at her eldest daughter. Melissa looked at her mother, blankly. This wasn't her doing, as much as her parents would assume it was. She was just as shocked.

"Yeah. His name is Fox. He asked if I would like to see a movie with him, but I told him that I would have to ask you and Ahab first..."

Bill Scully Sr suddenly appeared in the kitchen, looking between the fiery, stubborn women in his life.

"Starbuck, you're only fifteen. No boys, remember?" Ahab said, gently but sternly.

"But daddy, it's not a date" Dana tried to convince her father.

"Bill?" Maggie Scully walked over to her husband and rested a hand on his arm.

"It's a group of kids hanging out... he's bringing a friend, and I'm sure Missy would be more than happy to come too" Dana turned to face her "Right?"

Missy nodded enthusiastically.

"And where will you be seeing this picture?"

"We call them films or movies now, dad" Missy added, and received a very pointed look from their father.

"Well, I don't know... I said I had to ask permission first but I'm sure if I asked, it could be the movie theatre in town" Dana smiled, hopefully.

Dana didn't want Missy to be there, but she was somewhat scared about going alone. She had never been out with a boy before, so she would keep her mouth shut and put up with her shenanigans if it put her more at ease about the whole weird situation. She barely knew this guy, but she had a feeling about him, one that made her feel like he was a good guy and that this wasn't a trick or game that he was playing on her.

"And where does this punk live, exactly?"

"In D.C with his father" Dana explained.

Bill Scully Sr looked at Missy. The image of her wrapped around some punk, lips locked... when she was just thirteen years old still haunted him, and he imagined it would never leave his memory for as long as he lived.

"If he comes to the house first, and you go the theatre in town... then I will agree to this outing. Because I trust you, Starbuck. Just this once though"

Melissa squealed from her corner of the kitchen/dining room. Maggie Scully gave a thankful smile to Bill Scully Sr, while grabbing an oven mit to remove the family dinner from the oven.

"Dinner will be ready in five. Can you girls check on Charlie?"

"Thank you! I love you, Ahab" Dana hugged him.

"Sure thing, Mom" Missy answered.

Missy followed Dana back upstairs and into her room, they laid down on their backs, feet flat against the wall, heads hanging off the side talking about Mulder and his offer of seeing a movie (how weird it all was) and how they both didn't expect their Navy Captain father to agree to such an event.

"This is just so weird"

"Guess so" Dana murmured as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Please, my little sister being asked out by the cutest guy I've ever seen..." Missy turned her head to look at her "it's definitely the weirdest thing that has ever happened."

"Shut up!" Dana scrunched up her face at the diss, and slapped Missy's leg.

After dinner, Dana sleepily trudged upstairs, changed into her red plaid flannel pajamas and crawled into bed. Her eyes were heavy, and it didn't take her long to fall asleep.

 _"Agent Mulder. I'm Dana Scully, I've been assigned to work with you"_

 _She was suddenly in a dank, dingy basement office. There were out of focus photographs, and newspaper clippings, adorning every wall she could see. Before Dana could make sense of what she was seeing, everything went fuzzy and she was transported somewhere else._

 _"I know that you and Dad were... disappointed that I chose the path I'm on instead of medicine but I need to know... was he at all proud of me?" "He was your father"_

 _It was a cold, rainy afternoon; she was standing beside her Mother and siblings on a grey pebble beach watching the ashes of her Father being spread across the sea._

 _"Come on, lady... " "Mulder!" "Come on!" "I need your help! Mulder! Mulder!"_

 _What she was witnessing, was flying by so fast now... she was on the floor of an apartment, a lunatic screaming at her from a menacing position above her injured body._

 _"Your sister's in critical condition" "Scully... Scully, wait. Scully!" "I have to go there, Mulder" "You can't go" "That bullet was meant for me"_

 _She was in what looked like a dilapidated warehouse hideout with three men she didn't recognize and her silent shadow, Mulder. They were telling her something about her sister, but she refused to believe it._

 _"Who are the men who would create a life whose only hope was to die?" "I don't know. But the fact that you found her... and had a chance to love her... Then maybe she was meant for that too" "She found me" "So you could save her"_

 _She was standing in front of a tiny coffin, in a church, and he was with her again(the older version of the boy she had just met). She felt an incredible sadness wash over her and saw the same pain on Mulder's face too._

 _"It has to end sometime. That time is now" "Mulder... " "Scully, you have to understand that they're taking abductees. You're an abductee. I'm not going to risk... losing you" "I won't let you go alone"_

 _Abductee? Mulder was standing before her, telling her to stay behind but she didn't know why and she didn't want him to leave her, so she threw arms around his neck and the random hallway of the FBI office building faded away._

 _"It didn't take, did it?" "I guess it was too much to hope for... it was my last chance" "Never give up on a miracle"_

 _She was back in the apartment from before, but she wasn't scared this time because Mulder was with her. She could feel his strong arms around her, and breathed in that unmistakable scent of his, overwhelmed with a feeling, it felt like they had lost something precious to both of them.  
_

 _"What are you going to call him?" "William. After your father... " "From the moment I became pregnant, I feared the truth... about how... and why. And I know that you feared it, too" "I think what we feared were the possibilities. The truth we both know"_

 _Now she was in the bedroom of the same apartment (she assumed), holding a tiny infant in her arms with Mulder holding both of them in his and her heart felt so full, that she couldn't imagine being happier than she felt in that moment.  
_

 _"I promise to be there when you need me..." "Today I give myself to you..." "Now and forever" "I do"_

 _She and Mulder were standing before each other, and he was smiling at her so intensely she could feel a blush appear on her cheeks but they weren't alone on this_ w _hite sandy beach, there was a priest nearby and it dawned on her that this was their wedding day. The moment they made a life long commitment to one another and started to cry with happiness._

 _"Please. For me, Will. Can you keep an eye on your sister? Make sure she doesn't walk into any sharp corners" "Sure thing, Mom. Come here, Little One" "I love you"_

 _The impossibility of what she saw before her next, was enough to stop her in her tracks; she was in the kitchen of a beautiful ordinary house (in the middle of nowhere) grabbing some plastic tumblers out of a cupboard and turned to see the grown up version of the baby she was holding, in the living room holding a little girl that she instinctively knew was hers too, and then Mulder appeared beside her and they smiled at each other, and to their children._

 _Somehow, the boy that she had met earlier was even more handsome. There were flashes of things she couldn't and didn't understand, and maybe never would. It was all so confusing and terrifying but also more than she would have ever expected her life to be._

She woke up with a start, covered in a fine layer of sweat, wondering what had just happened.

Dana had a vision, or dream... of them.


	3. The Bestfriend

Francis Scott Key Regional High School  
Craiger, Maryland.  
April 9th, 1979  
9:48am

Ethan suddenly appeared beside Dana, while she was desperately searching through her locker for a book that she needed for her next class - History. He reached out and touched her upper arm, gently, trying not to startle her.

"Hey"

"Oh. Hi, Ethan" Dana turned her head quickly, flashing him a wide toothy smile.

Ethan loved that smile. More importantly, he loved the girl it belonged to but still hadn't found a way to tell her that... just yet.

"You're busy. I'm sorry..."

"Nope, not busy. Just missing a textbook"

"Let me check for you" Ethan gestured for Dana to step aside.

He lifted up all the heavy books, files and loose papers looking for anything resembling a standard textbook that could possibly be the one Dana needed for her class and yanked out a thick book with the words 'American History' across the top.

"TA DA!" Ethan handed her the book with a giant grin on his face, somewhat impressed with himself.

She stared at him, brows furrowed and then ducked her head back into the locker, trying to look for the trap door that obivously was in there somewhere. There had to be one. It was the only thing that could explain how Dana hadn't found it after ten minutes of looking but Ethan could stick his hand in there and find it immediately.

"Thanks" Dana pressed the book to her chest and threw her free arm around Ethan's shoulder, hugging him.

"It's no big deal..." Ethan caught a whiff of Dana's lavender shampoo and breathed it in, deeply "but you're welcome. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Yeah, good"

"Is that all?"

"Umm, I was just going ask about- but it doesn't matter"

"I've got like three minutes before I need to be at my next class, and so do you" Dana looked over her shoulder, watching as the other kids in the hallway were hurrying to their next class, whatever it was.

"Lunch?"

"Yes. And we can talk about this thing that doesn't matter" Dana smiled warmly and touched his arm, before running off to beat the bell to her next class.

Dana was closing up her textbook, when the bell for lunch rang throughout the school. She tossed her pens and pencils into the silver metal zip up case and placed it onto the textbook, waiting for Mrs Pearson to let them rise and leave.

"Red!" came a voice from behind, just as she began pulling the large doors to the cafeteria open. Dana smiled, recognizing the voice and turned around, letting the door to the lunch room close. It was Violet, the only other person aside from Ethan that she had become friends with since moving to Craiger last September. Violet had curly brown hair, lightly tanned skin and her light grey denim backpack was covered in poems in multiple colored sharpies... and she loved science as much as Dana.

"Vi... you're back" Dana exclaimed, and took a few steps towards her, still smiling. Violet had gone to the east coast to visit her aunt, who had just had a child.

"Yupp. Couldn't leave you here alone for too long, could I?" Violet laughed and then pulled Dana into a gentle, friendly hug.

"How's your aunt?"

"She's doing fine. They had a little girl.. called her Willow. I can't believe my family sometimes. They let me hold her, which is crazy. She's totally cute though. I took a polaroid, wanna see?"

Violet came from a family/household of former hippies. Well, her parents were former hippies, her aunt Robyn was still in the lifestyle more than a decade later. She pulled a tiny insta photo from the front pocket of her backpack and handed it to Dana.

"Aww..." Dana gushed, looking at the blown out and fuzzy photograph of Violet's aunt Robyn holding her tiny daughter against her chest her African American boyfriend beaming beside them "she's so cute!"

"Yeah. I'm hoping to teach her all about the way the world works before they turn her into a hippie and she's lost to us forever"

"Ethan's waiting for me..." Dana pointed to the cafeteria doors, and smiled "but I'm happy to have my lab partner back"

"You missed me, didn't you?"

"Maybe"

"Good. See ya later!"

They both laughed.

Ethan spotted Dana coming towards him in the cafeteria, smiling and gesturing for her to come sit down next to him.

"Hi"

"How was class?"

"Surprise math test" Ethan rolled his eyes and shrugged his denim jacket off. He liked math, of course, he was even considered a prodigy but he didn't like surprises.

Dana sat down across from Ethan, pushing her food tray towards his. They both had a mac and cheese, but Dana had a diet coke in place of his chocolate milk.

"Shut up. I bet you aced it" Dana grinned, reached out and rested her hand on top of his.

"Did you hear from that guy, Muld- what's his name?"

"Mulder" Dana said, attempting to help him, unaware that it was an intentional dig at the new guy in her life, not forgetfulness on Ethan's part.

"Right. Muld-ah. So?"

"Muld-ER" Dana corrected Ethan, before explaining the follow up phone call. "Well, the Captain wanted me to make sure that it would happen here, in town".

"That seems reasonable... considering you don't really know the guy" Ethan mumbled under his breath, trying desperately not to come off as the jealous best friend/other suitor.

"Well yeah. Anyway, Mulder agreed to my Dad's ground rules and we're going to see a movie this weekend."

"Sounds like a fun night out. I'll probably be doing homework all weekend."

Ethan scooped up a mouthful of mac and cheese with his fork and ate it, quietly pondering this new information. If he wanted to ask Dana to go steady, then he would have to do it soon. Dana twisted the lid off of the bottle coke, listening to the ubiquitous pop and fizz sound and then took a sip, completely oblivious to the feelings raging inside the boy sitting across from her. She hadn't noticed it when he stammered a hello when they first met, either.


	4. The Movie Night

Scully Residence  
Craiger, Maryland.  
April 13th, 1979  
5:56pm

Mulder pulled into the Scully's driveway, turned off the Gremlin's ignition and just sat there in the driver's seat. Gimble looked over at him, sighed and then poked him in the arm.

"Dude, we don't really wanna be late... do we?" Gimble said quietly.

Mulder was silent for another minute. He was actually extremely nervous about this night, about dragging Dana into his fucked-up life. Mulder knew he should tell her, but what if it caused her to leave him before they even got a chance to start something? Mulder didn't know why, because he had just met this girl, but he never wanted to hurt her, unintentionally or not. Something about the tiny red-head, had gotten under his skin and into his mind and heart over the past week. It was intense but also something he wanted in his life. He was sick of feeling alone... and lonely. It was beyond teenage angst, he just wanted to be happy.

"Nope..." Mulder mumbled while staring straight ahead, out of the Gremlin's windscreen and at the closed garage door, gathering up his courage "You're right."

"You really like this girl, huh? I mean, I get it. She's cute."

It suddenly occurred to Gimble that he could ask Phoebe out now.

"Does this mean I can ask Phoebe out?"

"Phoebe would eat you alive, but sure... go ahead, try your luck with her. Just don't be surprised when she shoots you down, like she did me" Mulder was roused from his deep thoughts and laughed at his friend's question.

Gimble hopped out of the car and waited for Mulder to join him. They stood for another moment at the front door before Gimble looked over at Mulder again and attempted to lift his hand up to knock on the door or ring the doorbell. Mulder pushed the doorbell and took a deep breath right before the door opened onto them, just standing there.

"Hello. Fox, is it? Come in, it's too cold for you to be standing out there" Maggie Scully welcomed them in.

Gimble waited to see what Mulder would say and was promptly shocked by the polite, and well-mannered words that came out of his best friend's mouth. He knew he wasn't a rude anti-authoritarian delinquent, but Gimble hadn't seen him interact with adults much other than teachers and their fathers, which were more strained relationships for both of them.

"Yes ma'am. Fox Mulder. Thank you" Mulder answered.

Maggie Scully smiled at him, then turned her attention to Gimble. Gimble pulled his denim jacket closed, wrapping his arms around his chest and returned her smile.

"Hello?"

"Gary Winchester. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Scully, and thank you for allowing us into your home this evening" Gimble rambled on.

Mulder looked over at him, worried that he was potentially having a stroke and tried to telepathically tell him to pull back on the niceties. Gimble had taken Mulder's lead to be more formal in this household but found himself sounding like a door to door salesman or a polite serial killer.

Mrs. Scully didn't appear to mind though. She was beaming from ear to ear at the gawky, charming young men standing before her.

Bill Sr was sitting in a Barcalounger, but stood when Mulder and Gimble walked into the living room. He was short but had a more formidable character, an air about him.

"Hello, son."

"Hello, Mr. Scully..." Mulder reached his hand out, to shake Mr. Scully's hand "I mean, sir."

"Who is this?"

"Gary Winchester, sir. I'm Fox's friend... from D.C, sir" answered Gimble, considerably less chipper as Mr. Scully was much more imposing than Mrs. Scully.

"Good evening, son" Mr. Scully turned his attention back to Mulder "Starbuck says you moved to D.C with your father last year?"

"Yes, sir. My dad works for the government and he was given an assignment in D.C"

Mr. Scully visibly flinched at the mention of his father working for the government. William Scully Sr had a disdain for what he dubbed "clean suits". He felt like they didn't know what it was like to be on the front lines of keeping the country and the world safe. He had captained multiple ships and had been in war zones and, as far as he could tell, the office dwelling "clean suits" just pushed papers and made demands.

"And where is your mother?"

"Well, umm... my mother is taking care of our family house in the Vineyard" Mulder looked between Mr and Mrs Scully.

"That's nice of her. I hope you respect what she is doing in keeping your home together while you and your father are away."

"Absolutely, sir. She's a wonderful mother... I'm grateful to have her in my life."

"Do you have any siblings, son?" Mr. Scully was on a roll, with his probing and personal questions.

"Yes. I have a sister... her name is Samantha. She's a little bit younger than me" Mulder tried not to sound nervous about the direction this interrogation/conversation was going.

"And you treat her well?"

"Of course, sir. I will always love her... and do my best to protect her" Mulder forced the tears in his eyes from welling up and betraying him.

He wasn't interested in getting into the whole sordid story or wanting to see the inevitable sympathy appear on everyone's faces and the questions, or his questions and theories about what really happened. It was just easier this way, to pretend she was still alive, still on this planet and still a part of the Mulder Family even if his folks refused to talk about what had happened to her or about her any longer.

Melissa was helping Dana apply some light mascara to her lashes, when Bill Jr busted in on them, like the giant annoying Frankenstein he was, asking stupid questions and just being his usual fun-sucking self. Bill Jr was on leave from the Naval Academy and had made his way home this weekend, which was rare these days and made Mr. and Mrs. Scully happy but worried Dana. Missy had somehow always been able to hold her own with him, but he liked to push Dana's (and Melissa's) buttons.

"Those punks are here. Where did you meet them anyway? Do you even know them?" Bill Jr grumbled, with disdain in his voice.

Dana scoffed, and Missy tried not to get eyeliner and mascara all over her face while throwing their older brother a dirty look for the both of them.

"I hope you don't intend on doing anything that will embarrass Mom and Dad..." Bill Jr looked at Missy, directing the next command to her (because of her history with boys) "and don't you drag Dana into your crap, Missy"

"Shut up, Bill"

"GO AWAY, BILL!" Dana glared at Bill Jr, until he shrunk out of the doorway and went back downstairs with the rest of his family, and the infuriating new interlopers, to wait for the Scully girls to appear.

Missy spun around in front of the large mirror leaning against her bedroom wall and smiled at her image. She liked what she saw. Dana stood in front of it, for a quick moment, to make sure she didn't look stupid. She didn't, she looked adorable.

"Dad" Missy said, from the middle of the staircase, in a way that was supposed to stop the unnecessary interrogation that was happening.

Mulder and Gimble looked up towards where the voice was coming from, to see Melissa and Dana staring down at them. Gimble suddenly looked down at his feet and fidgeted with his hands. Mulder couldn't hide the small smile that graced his lips.

He had never seen Mulder act this proper, or fighting the nervousness inside like he was in this moment. Phoebe had made him nervous, almost constantly, but this was different and strange. Missy and Dana continued down the stairs and stood beside Mulder and Gimble, equally as nervous.

"Hi..." Dana grinned up at Mulder.

"Hey" Mulder's hand brushed against Dana's, and made him shiver internally.

Charlie appeared out of nowhere and suddenly attacked Mulder with awkward questions.

"Who are you? Do you like my sister? Can I come?"

"Fox. Umm..." Mulder stuttered, and then gathered his composure to answer the barrage of questions.

"That's a funny name!"

"I think so too. Maybe next time, bud?" Mulder smiled down at Charlie.

"That's enough, Charlie" said Maggie Scully, saving Mulder from having to reveal how he felt about Dana in that moment. She put her hands on Charlie's shoulders, pulling him back and closer to her, apologizing to Mulder. The youngest Scully just shrugged and smiled up at Mulder, unfazed.

"Well, you better get going girls. I want you back by 10pm. Do you understand me, son?" Mr Scully looked at Mulder, who just nodded his head yes in a silent reply.

"Thank you, Ahab. I promise I won't let you down" Dana whishpered, while hugging her father.

"Have a great time, Starbuck" Mr. Scully turned to face Missy "Be careful and look after your sister. Please?"

"Of course, Dad" Missy smiled.

Mulder, Dana, Gimble and Melissa walked outside to the car, followed by Bill Jr, who yanked Mulder back at the last minute to have a little big brotherly conversation with him.

"If you touch either of my sisters, I will hunt you down. Got it?" Bill Jr threatened Mulder.

"Ok. I don't intend to hurt either of them. Do you feel tough?"

Bill Jr stared at Mulder, and then looked through the Gremlin's front windscreen at his younger sisters. They looked happy and he seethed inside but smiled at them sweetly, and then grinned menacingly at Mulder before turning on his heel and going back into the house with his parents and little brother.

Spectacle Theatre  
Craiger, Maryland.  
April 13th, 1979  
6:20pm

Mulder, Dana, Melissa and Gimble were standing in the mixture of plastic silver colored ornate shell cupped light bulbs and new florescent lighting, and red velvet flooring and walls in the lobby of the local Craiger movie theatre. There were movie posters on all of the walls, and a set of grand stairs that led up to the second floor to the main two theatres. It was an old, previously rundown 19th century building that had been recommissioned in the 40s as a moving pictures theatre. It looked like it was slowly making its way into the 70s, just in time for the 80s.

Missy was wearing a long beautiful, billowy dress with flowers and ivy all over it. Dana was in a pair of grey and red plaid dress pants and a black scoop neck shirt with her gold cross dangling prominently over her freckle dotted upper chest (her usually curly fiery red hair in a tight neat braid, that came down to middle of her shoulder blades).

Gimble was in acid wash denim jeans, a Star Wars tee and a blue velour warm up jacket. Mulder was also in jeans, but had a really crisp navy blue dress shirt on with his black leather jacket over the top. He was trying to make the best impression that he could on Dana.

"What are we gonna see, boys?" Missy asked, with a curious smile. Melissa knew what she wanted to see but was at the mercy of the guys, who had invited them out for the evening.

"Umm..." Gimble looked over at Mulder (who was far too busy staring at Dana to notice him) and gently kicked him in the shin to get his attention "Dude? The ladies want to know what movie we'll be seeing, you did pick one... right?"

"Of course!" Mulder said abruptly, as he turned his attention back to his friend and gave him a look. It was the "don't make me look stupid in front of the girl I like" look, and Gimble heard it loud and clear.

"Which one is it then?" Dana asked, as she pointed at the light box lit up with movie titles above the concession stand.

"Well, it's Friday the 13th. And this theatre is showing 'Phantasm'. So, I thought we'd watch that one."

"I really wanted to see Hair" lamented Melissa, before reigning in her temper and accepting that it wasn't exactly her right to moan about what they were seeing. She decided to just be happy that she was spending time with Mulder. Kind of. His attention did appear to be elsewhere but she was nothing if not persistent.

"Refreshments?" asked Gimble.

Mulder walked up to the counter and bought four tickets for 'Phantasm'.

The twenty-year-old kid behind the concession counter, whose badge named him as 'Jason', listened to them all rattle off a bunch of items and took their order with a groan and roll of his eyes. He went into the back room to fill up a couple of boxes of popcorn and returned placing them on the counter, and then turned around and grabbed the packets of candy they had asked for, spinning around and quickly tossing them next to the popcorn, and then filling up all of the large cups with their sodas.

The Scully girls both grabbed their large diet cokes from the countertop. Dana took a quick sip and stood off to the side. Mulder grabbed the popcorn boxes and his regular coke and walked over to Dana, smiling. Gimble yanked the packets of Twizzlers and Peanut M&Ms from the counter, along with his 7UP, and accidently bumped into Missy as he stepped back.

"Sorry" Gimble tried to apologize but was just met with an uninterested look from Missy.

Mulder and Dana were standing over by the grand staircase, waiting for Melissa and Gary to join them with the rest of the snacks. There was still about twenty minutes until the movie started, so they had become loiters in the lobby, as groups of other movie goers showed up.

"How are you?" Mulder asked, turning his head to look over at Dana.

"Good. So, have you seen this movie before?"

"No. School has kept me kind of busy since it was released but I'm excited to be seeing it with you..." Mulder rested his hand, gently, on her shoulder, trying not to spook her "I'm glad that your folks let you come hang out tonight."

"Yeah, me too. It's scary, huh?" Dana looked up at him and smiled shyly.

"Guess so. That's not a problem is it?"

"Nah. You'll be there, right?"

"Umm, yeah..." Mulder almost choked on the piece of popcorn he had sneaked out of one of the boxes, "Of course"

"You OK?" Dana asked, as a shocked laugh tumbled from her lips. She didn't know why, but she was really starting to enjoy it when he was shocked or taken aback by something she said or did. It was kind of cute. Actually, _he_ was kind of cute, if she was being honest with herself. Who would have thought that Missy was right?

"Should we head up?" Gimble asked, as he and Missy finally joined Dana and Mulder by the stairs.

"Yeah, let's find some good seats" Dana said smiling, pulling Missy close to her side interlocking their arms.

Mulder used his back and right shoulder to open one of the large doors to Theatre Two, letting everyone into the dimly lit room, still grasping the boxes of popcorn and his own soda. Melissa entered first, followed by Dana and Gimble, who were talking about something that only dorks liked (or so Missy assumed), and the door slipped closed behind Mulder.

As they adjusted their eyes to the darkness, Gimble continued.

"I can't believe you like that show too!"

"Really?" Dana asked, as she cocked her head to the side. She just assumed it was popular and that she was the last to know about it, because she always was. The life of a navy brat wasn't all adventures and new places; most of the time, it was struggling to learn a new language and make friends, which meant that she felt like she was always behind the times when it came to what kids her ages were into and what they liked to do with their free time.

"Yeah, the only other person I know who likes it is... Mulder."

Gimble then proceeded to quote something funny from the show that made Dana laugh (a laugh that Mulder was falling in love with more and more, every time he heard it). Her laugh ricocheted around the almost empty theatre and caused a teenage boy down the front of the movie theatre to turn around in his seat, look up at the noise and then attempt to duck down before being noticed, but it was too late. It was Ethan. Dana had caught him as he tried to slink back down into the red velvet seat and waved at him, calling out for him to come join them.

"Who is that?" Mulder whispered, as he leaned over Missy's shoulder, making her breath hitch in her throat.

"Uh, that would be Ethan... we all go to the same school"

"So, he's a friend?" Mulder watched as Ethan walked up the semi inclined space between the rows of seats.

"You could say that..." Missy turned around, trying not to smirk as she caught the hint of curiosity in his voice and slight look of panic in his eyes at this new information and patted his arm, lingering longer than was necessary. Dana turned around, shot Missy a look (her hand dropping from his arm, in understanding) and then looked up at Mulder, smiling that wide toothy happy grin.

"Mulder, Gimble... this is Ethan" Dana introduced everyone to each other.

"Hi" Gimble replied instantly. He was a friendly sort of guy, in spite of his stressful home life or maybe because of it, he liked to reach out to others to find solace in his crazy world.

"Hey" Mulder mumbled in Ethan's direction while looking intensely at the back of Dana's head, and trying to figure out what he had stumbled into. He racked his brain, wondering if he had missed something along the way but came up empty; he was sure she had never mentioned a boyfriend to him, not that there was time, both phone calls were strictly about this evening's movie outing.

"Hello. Dana said you might be seeing a movie, together, this weekend. I didn't realize it would be this one, it's not really her... style" Ethan looked Mulder directly in the eyes, almost challenging him. Who knew Dana better? Who had known her longer? Who loved her more? Mulder felt the underlying questions aimed straight at him, and he knew that he was outdone in every way but he wasn't ready to give up on the funny, charming and beautiful red-head that fate had thrown his way when he needed her most.

Dana blinked, not sure of why Ethan would think this wasn't her type of movie. She turned around a little and patted Mulder's arm calmly, but it was too late, he had already taken the bait. Melissa's eyes went wide, and she waited to see what would happen next. Gimble opened the packet of peanut M&Ms and tossed a small handful into his mouth.

"Huh. She didn't know which film I was going to pick... kind of wanted it to be a surprise. You don't mind do you, Dana?" Mulder asked, before having a sip of his large regular coke.

"Of course not..." she smiled over her shoulder at Mulder, and then turned to face her best friend again "Ethan, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be at home, doing your homework all weekend."

"That was the plan but my uncle told me to get out of the house, so... I did" Ethan nodded. He wasn't sure if the smart girl that he knew would buy that excuse but it was the only reasonable one he could come up with, that also seemed plausible in the situation.

Ethan pulled Dana gently away from the group, down to where he was sitting before his cover was blown, while the others watched on confused and curious about what was going on now.

"If he tries anything with you, Dana. Anything that makes you uncomfortable... I want you to know that I'm here and- "

"Tries what exactly, Ethan?" she felt comfortable in Mulder's presence and hadn't got the impression he would try anything untoward tonight, or any other night for that matter "I know jujutsu, so if he tries anything I'll kick his butt. Feel better?"

Ethan grinned at her honest response to his vaguely intrusive declaration of chivalry. This was the Dana he knew. It comforted him and belayed his fears of losing her to this new older guy in this particular moment. They both walked back up to where the others stood waiting and Missy sighed at their return, while grabbing some popcorn out of a box pressed against Mulder's chest and the crook of his elbow.

"Everything OK?"

If Mulder was being totally honest he didn't really care if Ethan was OK, he just wanted to know that Dana was alright and that nothing was said to upset her or ruin their night out together.

"Yeah. It's fine. Right, Ethan?" Dana smiled up at him and then slipped her hand into Ethan's, intertwining their fingers and squeezing them lightly to ease his obvious territorial-ness, not realizing her action would set off the same feelings in Mulder.

Mulder's troubled gaze followed their intertwined hands, causing him to mentally slap himself and then desperately try to make sure the affect didn't register on his face for all to see. He felt like a massive idiot. Why was he fighting for a girl that was already spoken for? Why had he thought that she might like him too? They were all still milling about, looking for good seats so they could settle in before the movie started. Mulder lightly touched the small of Dana's back trying to usher her back up towards the large theatre doors but she was talking to her sister, Missy.

"Can we talk? Not here, out there" Mulder politely asked Dana, while pointing to the exit sign, indicating that he would like her to join him out in the lobby for a moment. He wanted to make himself clear before the night went any further.

"Sure," Dana said, curious as to what he might want to say to her that they needed to be away from the group.

"The movie... it's starting soon" Ethan almost whined. Now that he felt like he had got her back, this felt like a step back, a risk that their hard fought for friendship was on a cliff.

Mulder noticed Ethan's unrest and felt he had to say something.

"Yeah. Sorry man, I didn't know..." Mulder began, but was quickly interrupted by a confused Dana.

"Wait, didn't know what?" Dana questioned both the young men in front of her, brow furrowed.

Ethan just stood there, not even remotely hiding the scowl on his face. He really should've told her how he felt sooner. Now he was hoping that she would let this older guy down and come back to him, so he could finally explain to Dana how he felt about her.

"Ethan, can you wait here?" Dana asked, handed her drink to Missy and then grabbed Mulder's hand, momentarily stunning him and dragging him out of the still quiet screening room.

"Guess so" Ethan stuttered, shocked by her actions.

"We'll just wait here then..." mumbled Gimble, as he plopped down in a red velvet covered seat somewhere in the middle of the theatre with a perfect view of the screen, keeping an eye on Mulder's drink and the boxes of popcorn he had placed on a seat next to him.

Mulder still couldn't form words by the time they had made it downstairs and out into the semi deserted lobby of the Spectacle Theatre. Dana was still holding his hand, her black polished nails scratching his somewhat ticklish palm in a way that was so very very distracting and wonderful. It felt like fireworks or like he had swallowed a couple of packets of Pop Rocks; his insides were tingly and on fire for this girl that he barely knew but felt like he wanted to spend the rest of his life getting to know, and he definitely wanted to feel this way forever. She was quickly becoming the light that cut through the darkness that had filled up his life in recent years.

"Mulder?" Dana pleaded, his name coming out in almost a whisper.

Initially she was uncomfortable with calling him by his last name (because of her polite Catholic upbringing) even though that was what he told her he preferred to be called when they first met, but now she found it rolled off her tongue so easily, so sweetly. It sounded like a prayer to her ears. So, she said it again, quieter, but more determined to get his attention.

But maybe she didn't feel the same way, maybe she really did like this Ethan guy and maybe he was about to be horribly let down for the second time in such quick succession in his young life. MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE! Mulder knew he might never recover if this girl, if one Dana Katherine Scully rejected him here and now.

"Mulder"

Mulder was startled out of his intense teenage thoughts and he stepped back, running a shaky hand through his floppy brown hair. It immediately flopped back and stuck against the sweat on his forehead. He noticed her icy blue eyes shining up at him from under her mascara covered lashes, and about lost his mind before he could even pluck up the courage to ask her the question that weighed on his mind in this particular moment in time.

"Dana...

His fingertips accidently but otherwise delicately skimmed Dana's hip as his hand dropped from hers. An intense, powerful feeling spread through her body, from that point on her freckled hip to her head and back down to her toes. She wobbled only briefly, because he looked at her in a way that made her heart break, and then looked away from her just as quickly.

Why didn't you say something?"

"About what?" Dana replied, concern and worry etched on her face. She stared up into his eyes all green and speckled with silver, like starlight and she could see in them... a lost little boy. A phrase from French class suddenly flashed like a neon light in her mind; Mille feuilles. Dana saw a thousand layers hidden behind those troubled eyes and wanted to be the one to uncover them. Why was he so lost? What had happened to him in the past? She wondered. Actually, what was happening right now? She had missed a lot of what he had said to her, lost in... him. His entire being.

"I.. Honestly, I feel like an idiot right now. It didn't make sense, you know? That you would say yes. I don't know why I thought-" Mulder stammered as he looked down at his shoes slightly embarrassed and sighed audibly.

She didn't understand what he was saying, it made no sense to her but she wanted to know what was making him feel the way he was feeling right now. She had thought everything was going well, and it had made her beyond happy but now she was worried. Mulder was clearly upset and she desperately wanted to know why.

"Why? What happened? I thought... I mean it felt like- Everything was good, wasn't it?"

"I really didn't think I was being subtle, you know? An idiot sure..." Mulder looked down at Dana, searching her big wet eyes for any understanding of what he was actually saying to her right now "but not subtle"

"I don't understand. What's wrong? Tell me... tell me why you think you're an idiot. I want to know what happened" Dana rested a hand on his broad chest (only the fabric of his shirt between their skin), forcing him to stop and look her in the eyes. She could feel his heart beating fast beneath her right hand, and wondered if he could see how flushed her chest and neck had become too.

"Because I thought you knew..." Mulder stopped himself mid-sentence, thinking about how to word what he wanted to say next without scaring her off at such a crucial point.

Mulder watched, mesmerized, as she ran the tip of her tongue across her red, glossy very kissable top lip and looked up at him, waiting for him to continue explaining what he was trying to say. Dana blinked rapidly, and he quickly averted his gaze, suddenly conscious and aware of it's intensity and the fact that he had been silent and staring at her for far too long.

"They both like you, stupid" Missy blurted out, from behind, interrupting them. She had followed them out and listened to the start of their incredibly private conversation. She shook her head at all of the confusion, not understanding how something so obvious had gone over her little sister's constantly praised brilliant mind.

"Missy!"

"I'd really like to talk to your sister alone... please" Mulder said, through gritted teeth while glaring at Missy and trying to carefully move Dana over into a corner, by her shoulders, away from a new crowd of movie goers that were showing up at the theatre "Ok, let's go over here"

"OK. Can you just tell me... what happened?" Dana's frowned.

Mulder tried to take Dana's hand in his again, unsure if she could feel what he felt when they touched but hoping beyond hope that if he willed it so, that she would... and that all of this confusion would be worth it. Melissa audibly groaned, as she walked back up the grand staircase to Theatre Two, leaving both of them to their conversation.

"I... I don't know how to- don't hate me, OK? I need to know... are you with that guy?"

"With?"

"Are you and Ethan a couple?"

"Mulder, no. Ethan is... he's just a friend. I swear" Dana bit her bottom lip, her eyes going wide at the realization and then she frowned "Is that what you were worried about?"

"Kinda"

"Soo... we're good now?"

"Yeah, we're good" Mulder nodded, shyly. He felt the fear of losing her leave his body and sighed a breath of relief at the feeling of almost weightlessness that had overcome him. There was hope for him.

Dana reached for his right hand and held it in hers.

And that's when she felt it, the thing.. the spark, the feeling, the totally uncontrollable made for each feeling that she was now certain was what Corinda had tried to express to her, to make her see the day they had met. Only eleven days ago, no, that can't be right. She felt like she had known him, her whole life... all of her lives, all of their lives together. He was so beautiful, standing before... heart on his sleeve. She could actually see colors... orange, blue, purple, green and silver, and it was swirling around them and only them. Exploding lights, memories of a possible future that was once only a dream.

Time slowed down; she could feel everything and intuitively knew he felt it too. The memories of her dream came flooding back into her mind.

Dana had spent the past week trying to figure out, from the fuzzy memories she had left of it, what the dream she had could possibly mean and when he carefully held her hand in his, she felt the butterflies in her stomach going crazy again, she knew in that moment what Melissa had said was true. Was their truth. Was beyond the truth. They were meant to be. It was fate. It was the Universe giving them something to hold onto in this world.

"Umm, I know we just met..." there was so much Mulder wanted to tell her, so much he wanted to express but couldn't because his hands were suddenly clammy, felt warm all over and dizzy and all of those pretty pretty words he had thought up were now gone "but... I just, I really like you"

"I think- I think I love you, Mulder. I know that doesn't sound logical but I had this dream... it felt SO real. And..." Dana couldn't help but stare at his pouty bottom lip, as he smiled down at her, a hand on her bare freckled shoulder.

"I believe you. This is going to sound crazy but ever since we... Dana, I can't stop thinking about you. I know I love you. It feels like the truth... like I've found the truth, in you. You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

She stood there as he declared that he would like to take care of her, if she would let him. If she would let him? She would let him love her until the end of time, until their last breaths and beyond. Of course she would let him, the chance that what she had dreamed coming true both frightened her and filled her with a joy that she had never known in her life, outside of the love of her family. It wasn't out of reach now; her one in four billion, constant, touchstone and best friend was here. And she accepted his offer.

"If you're crazy then so am I"

"I'll take that..." Mulder chuckled.

She shivered, the air-conditioned lobby and opening and closing of the doors to the theatre giving her a chill and making her regret not wearing more than a thin knit cardigan (that she had left with Missy and Gimble upstairs). Mulder leaned in close, and she thought he was about to kiss her, but his warm breath glided past her cheek and hit the curve of her - what she assumed was now beet red - ear, as he slipped his black leather jacket over her shoulders. A perfect gentleman, but he did linger long enough for a whiff of her lavender shampoo to hit him, along with the sweet apple smell of her perfume. She thought he smelled amazing... like a warm, homey forest that she would happily get lost in again and again if he asked her to.

"Better now?"

"Uh huh, thank you"

Dana's eyes sparkled, as she nodded in agreement and Mulder noticed the gold cross around her neck was askew and gently moved it back to it's rightful place, while she help her braid up and out of the way. As he removed his hand from her neck, he paused and ran his thumb over her cheek and bottom lip, nervously. She hid a smile with the back of her hand but couldn't hide the blush that appeared on her cheeks in the wake of his soft touch.

"Would you like to go back?"

"Yes. Because you're here now, and I'm not scared anymore"

She grinned up at him, thankful for his presence in her life and slipped her tiny hand into his larger one, entwining their fingers. Mulder offered a soft, shy smile in return (that he hoped didn't show how much he liked the reaction he had caused in her), giving her hand a gentle squeeze and pulled her to his side. They walked back up the grand staircase together, to re-join their friends (and family) and enjoy the movie. It was the first of many dates to come.


End file.
